Many the Miles
by edwart
Summary: AU. Set in New Moon during Spring Break. Bella doesn't go to Jacob and therefore doesn't get close with him. Instead, Bella is left defenceless when her life is threatened, leaving her forced to fight for her life alone. M for violence.
1. I

_Summary: AU. Set in New Moon during Spring Break. __Bella doesn't go to Jacob and therefore doesn't get close with him. Instead, Bella is left defenceless when her life is threatened, leaving her forced to fight for her life alone._

* * *

1. Prologue

Sighing, I rolled out of my bed, unable to put it off for much longer. The springs creaked inside the old mattress, as I sat up, flinging my legs out from under the sheets. I was running out of ways to fill my days, not that school was out for the spring. I rubbed my palms against my closed eyes, agitated and frustrated by my current situation. Life for me now had grown beyond being simply a struggle - it was now near impossible. I was hanging on, though, clawing at what little I had left, clinging to it.

I cheated for a second, dropping my strict boundaries just to let Edward into my head again. For a moment, I imagined his face, adored him. I pictured the exact angle of his jaw line, the shape of his lips, the tip of his nose, the honey color of his eyes - my favorite of the shades. And then he was gone.

* * *

Charlie had left long ago, no doubt walking across the floorboards on his tip-toes, fishing gear in hand. I leaned against the kitchen counter, balancing my elbows against the edge as I stared out the window. My truck sat in its usual spot, waiting for me with quiet patience. Deciding that a drive might be a good way to fill in some time, I swooped up my keys and headed out the front door without so much as a glance back.

* * *

As always, the drivers' door creaked loudly, groaned, as I closed it behind me. I took some comfort in the familiar sound, and as I settled into my seat, I studied the empty space where my new stereo had sat, before I had clawed it out. I shook my head and turned my attention to the ignition. It was bad practice to ponder on things that reminded me of him. If the trail led me somewhere _dangerous_, I'd leave it be. That had to be my new mantra. As I followed a familiar road, I rolled down my window, letting my hair blow out it. Fresh air always seemed to do wonders for me nowadays. I briefly glanced at the rear vision mirror, out of habit, and saw an unfamiliar overly shiny black car trailing me. I swerved over, coming to the conclusion that they must be annoyed by my slow pace, and waited for them to pass. But they didn't. I raised an eyebrow, perplexed as I stared back at the car that had pulled up to stop behind me. I couldn't see the driver: the windows were tinted.

I cut the engine, silence falling in my truck, and waited some more, my eyes never leaving the mirror. When the cars' door swung open, I felt my pulse speed up. That was strange - they were probably lost or something, just needed to ask an entirely innocent question. One foot slid out of the now open door, clad den in a flat leather boot. Then another matching foot.

Fiery auburn hair flung about her face as she smiled vindictively at me, her eyes locking into mine, boring into them with such intensity that even if I hadn't know she was a vampire, I would have still screamed anyway. Victoria walked at a slow, _human_, pace toward me. I fumbled with the door handle, before swinging it open with a loud squeak and kicking my way out. I ran, knowing it was useless, knowing that she was on my tail, knowing that she would soon kill me. Shoving my way through the woods, I found myself cutting my arms on the sharp branches, not helping me but instead giving Victoria another advantage. Like a bright neon arrow, sending her directly to me with ease. My human body betrayed me then, as my foot caught itself amongst an array of vines littering the forest floor, sending me face first into the dirt. I shoved myself up, using my palms to balance the rest of my body. Victoria's foot stomped onto my right arm, and I lost my balance, falling back into the dirt as she pinned my arm down. I looked up at her frantically.

"What do you want?" I cried, the sob turning into a howl of pain as I felt her foot turn, crushing against my bone.

"What do you _think_ I want, dear Bella?"

I screamed louder, in more earnest this time as I heard a sickening crack reverberate through my body. Victoria lifted her foot off me, before bending down to my level, watching me as I pulled my wounded arm against my chest and cradled it.

"I want revenge," she mouthed to me, before she smiled widely, exposing her sharp teeth: a threat and a reminder of her vampirism.

"Are you going to … bite me?" I whispered, my voice so shaky that had she been human, I was sure she wouldn't hear me.

She laughed, a bitter twisted kind of laugh: like a witch's cackle. Victoria pulled me up, hand hands taking one of my arms in each. I screeched in shock at the extent of the pain, as she clasped my injured arm a little bit tighter than the other.

"I'm going to have some _fun_ with you, first. Then we'll see what happens."

She released me from her grip, relief flooded through me at the loss of pressure on my right arm. She turned me around, my back facing her, before she began shoving me harshly, coercing me forward.

"Get in the car," she ordered. I took the passenger seat and belted myself in, shaking so violently that it took a few moments to click it into place. I watched, confused as she headed toward my truck. Her nails scraped against the paint of the driver's door as she pondered what to do next.

She pivoted, turning back around to stare at me. The sick smile crossed her face as she walked straight past me, opening the trunk of her car. She walked back to my truck, this time ignoring me, with a canister of petrol in her hand. She poured it over the driver's seat, all in the front of the car, before pouring the remains onto the hood. Victoria placed the empty canister back into her trunk, before lighting a match, and tossing it onto the truck, making sure to keep a safe distance from it. I gasped, instinctively throwing my arm up to cover my face. But the flames did not reach me.

The sound of the small explosion rang in my ears, thumping in my head. Victoria slid into the driver's seat beside me now, closing her door behind her. We sat in silence for a moment, as Victoria smirked, admiring her work. The tires screeched as she spun the vehicle around, and zoomed off in the opposite direction. I glanced back, just before we rounded a corner, and caught one last glimpse of my truck, now bathed in flames and thick smoke.

* * *

_The next chapter will be a lot longer, as this is just the prologue. Let me know what you think. (:_


	2. II

I do not own 'Twilight', the characters or anything. This is purely for fun, and for entertainment purposed only.

* * *

2. Revelations & Bruises

* * *

Victoria smirked at me as she noted how I was cradling my hand.

"I would advise you to get used to pain," she said simply. I stopped myself from gulping, from giving her that satisfaction. Since our drive the fear I'd been feeling had started to dull, to fade slightly. Although I was still obviously afraid, I was also feeling something else building up inside me: anger. Anger for the injury, anger for her destroying my truck, anger for her kidnapping me and promising more pain. Charlie would be worried sick by now; we'd been on the road for a few hours. I moaned as I moved me injured arm, the pain intensifying.

"Where are we going?" I asked, wincing as my arm began to throb.

She glanced at my arm and smirked again, ignoring my question.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I said bitterly, glaring at her as angrily as I dare. I didn't want to entice her, to give her more reason to hurt me. But it seemed to have the entire opposite affect: she wasn't angry at my show of anger, instead she liked it. It made her laugh. I concluded that I hated her laugh, as the same twisted sick sound came from her lips.

"Of course I am enjoying this," she said softly. "Your mate killed my mate, so I am going to kill his."

I choked out a breath, the sound escaping my lips and making me sound winded. I _felt _winded, like she'd just reached over and smacked a fist into my stomach. She didn't know, she didn't realize that Edward didn't love me. His name hurt a bit, but I shrugged it off, focusing on the nigger picture. All I had to do was explain it: once she knew that her plan was flawed; that she wouldn't _really _be getting sufficient revenge, she would stop. She would take me home.

"Don't you know?" I whispered. She glanced at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Know _what_?"

"Edward doesn't love me anymore - he left."

She grinned, amused.

"Oh I know he left you. But even if he doesn't love you - me killing you: it will be enough to set him off. He'll still feel guilty about this, and that might be enough for me."

I gawked at her, gaping like a fish. She couldn't be serious: she couldn't be still planning on murdering me in cold blood, with Edward not caring anymore. It wasn't even proper revenge.

"Please don't do this to me," I whispered, resorting to pleading. "Please. I can't! My dad-"

"Shh," she said. The sound wasn't at all soothing. "You're father is fine, and it will stay that way, unless you try anything _stupid_."

Victoria suddenly swerved the car, pulling into the driveway of a small motel. When she parked and cut the engine she turned to me, flicking a strand of her messy fiery hair over her shoulder.

"Don't do anything stupid. Don't draw attention to yourself. Stand behind me and smile politely, and keep your mouth _shut_. Alright?"

I nodded quickly in reply. She opened her door, gesturing for me to do the same, and climbed out. I followed suit, my movements purposefully slow. I glanced quickly from the corner of my eyes, looking for an escape.

Victoria began to walk toward the front office, glaring at me.

"Hurry up," she said, irritated by my slow pace. It was obvious that she didn't spend a lot of time around humans, that she usually caught them and killed them. She had no idea how to react to me. I tried to think of ways to use that tool to my advantage.

I followed her inside, keeping at a safe distance from her, away from her talons of nails. They looked - and were, I'd imagined - deadly.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The middle-aged woman asked from behind the counter, setting her book down.

"One room," Victoria said, pulling out her credit card and flashing it in front of the woman's face. The receptionist began typing into her computer, glancing up at us every few seconds.

"Friends?" She asked, gesturing toward Victoria and I.

"Sisters," Victoria said. There was something odd about the way she said the word, almost bitter but also pleased. It was as if she loved the idea that we really _were_ sisters: that she was about to murder her sister and couldn't wait. I shuddered slightly. Victoria moved to wrap an arm across my shoulder.

"I love her to _pieces_," she said, she shook me slightly, her fingers digging into my shoulder. I winced.

"We're good _friends_, aren't we Bella?"

I nodded robotically, managing a very small smile for the receptionist's sake. Victoria casually moved away from me, giving me one last quick squeeze. I fought the urge to rub my shoulder. I watched as the woman behind the desk continued typing data up on her computer. Victoria moved to look at the brochures on the wall in the far corner.

"What do you think Bella? Would you like to try skydiving?" Victoria turned to me, waiting for my answer. I shook my head and she laughed loudly, before glancing back at the selection. I shuffled forward to tiniest amount, close enough to rest my hands on the counter. I winced as I stretched out my injured arm. A small notebook sat with a pen on top. I reached out and began to quickly scribble. I peeked out of the corner of my eye, but Victoria was still preoccupied, reading one of the brochures.

_Help me - kidnapped._

I pushed the notebook an inch toward the receptionist, but she didn't look up. I tapped my fingernail against the desk, fighting to keep my pulse steady as to not alert Victoria. Finally the woman glanced up at me, before looking at the paper. She gasped quietly, and opened her mouth to whisper something.

Before the woman could get a word out, Victoria's hand slammed the woman's face into her desk. The force shook the entire room, as I heard sickening cracks of bones and teeth. I shuddered, before stepping backward. I glanced at the woman at the desk, and covered my mouth to silence my scream. Blood had begun to puddle around her face, dripping down the front of the desk and soaking into the off-white carpet below. I felt the tears well up and run down my cheek. Victoria glared at me: ferocious, horrendous. I felt my entire body shake with fear.

"I told you not to do anything _stupid_!" She screeched. I hid myself into the corner of the room, watching with terror as Victoria pulled the cord of the computer out of its socket, erasing the data the woman had entered. To hide our identity, I imagined. Victoria cleaned up the crime scene a little, checking for fingerprints, strands of hair.

Then she whipped her head around to glare at me. I tried to move back further as she advanced, but found myself pressed up against the wall, her hand moving around my throat.

"I will _murder _you," she said calmly, pressing her nose against mine, her hand tightening around my throat. "I will make you suffer so much that you will _beg_ for death long before I will grant you it. And I will make sure Edward _sees_ it. Perhaps I'll leave him a note, hmm?" She ran a long sharp nail down my cheek as I began to struggle for air, shoving uselessly against her arm. "Perhaps I'll carve it into your skin."

Finally she lowered her hand, and I fell to the ground, coughing, choking out air. Victoria lowered herself down to me.

"As punishment for that stupid trick you just pulled, you can sleep in the car. I was willing to be accommodating, Bella. I was willing to do that, ensure that you got some sleep - I was even planning on getting your hand fixed. Not any more."

She raised to her feet before yanking me up, gripping my injured arm. I whimpered in pain and marched forward as she coerced me to. When we reached the car I slid inside, the shock of what had just happened slowed my movements. An innocent woman had been murdered because of my stupidity. What did I _expect_ to happen, anyway? I should have known it would never work. I leaned back into my seat, before lolling my head, looking at Victoria. She started the car and turned back onto the road.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. She flicked a glance at me, before shaking her head.

"You need to eat something," she said simply. "There's food behind your seat. Eat some now."

I fumbled behind my seat, reaching over whilst trying to cradle my injured arm against my chest. I found a paper bag full of bread and began to pick at it.

* * *

I awoke dizzy, my head feeling light. I felt my eyes begin to adjust to the light as I glanced around me, taking in my surroundings. I was still in the car, but Victoria wasn't. The car was parked outside some small town store, several small groups of people walked in and out, I could hear the muttering of their voices from inside the car. I jumped when Victoria opened the driver's door and slid in, a cup of coffee in her hand, more bags of food in the other. She slammed her door shut and turned to me.

"Drink it," she said, shoving the coffee towards me. I began to sip obediently, deciding against telling her that I hated coffee. "You need to wake up," she muttered as she began to drive again. "Today's going to be a _long_ day. We're going to reach our destination today."

I drank the coffee, wondering anxiously where our 'destination' was.

* * *

After three hours Victoria turned the car off the road, driving down a long un-concreted driveway. The driveway led to a small old abandoned house. She cut the engine and told me to get out of the car.

I walked behind her, my legs shaking, still sore and tired. She shoved the door opened and pushed me inside. It was incredibly dark, so much so that my eyes stung and began to water. I heard the door slam behind me and I jumped slightly. As my eyes adjusted I saw, with horror, that the house was not a normal house. Victoria had been working on this for months, perhaps even since the day James was killed.

There was no furniture, the walls bare. All windows bar one had been covered with planks of wood nailed to the walls. Carpet had been pulled up, revealing old rotting floorboards. The room smelled musty, like it hadn't been aired out for a very long time. Victoria led us forward into another room. The bathroom was empty also, bar an old rusted shower, toilet and sink. Victoria left the room, shutting the door. I went straight to the sink, running the tap. I soon realised that there was not hot water, and settled for the cold. I splashed my face, rubbing the water into my skin. There was one small cracked mirror that hung above the sink, so I decided to examine my injuries. I pulled my shirt off, twisting my body to see a dozen bruises inking the skin of my shoulder and arm. I shuddered as I lightly touched one: still tender.

I cleaned as much of my body as I could, before leaving. Victoria wasn't in the kitchen or the living room. I glanced out the one exposed window to see that she wasn't at the car either.

"Victoria?" I asked quietly.

She appeared in the doorway of a different room, gesturing for me to join her. I walked slowly, beginning to feel uneasy again. She flicked a light on, and I saw the horror that awaited me. A small hospital-like bed sat in the center of the room, hand and leg straps attached to it. The room felt like an operating room, it had the same vibe. I felt sick as Victoria led me to the 'bed', and shoved me onto it. I felt her hands strap my legs in, before she moved up my body to strap in my arms.

"I need to go and get some supplies," she said, pulling a piece of fabric from her jacket pocket. She tied it around my mouth. "So be a good girl and stay quiet."

I watched as she walked out of the room, flicking the light off and shutting the door, leaving me tied up and laying in total blackness.


	3. III

_I do not own 'Twilight' in any way. This is purely for entertainment purposes._

* * *

3. Deterioration & Endings

Victoria's nails dug into the skin of my arm, causing me to whimper. She flicked her wrist casually, and I was flung across the room, sliding across the rotting floorboards before slamming into the wall. I choked out breaths as the pain winded me. I pressed my palm to the wall, trying to pull myself up. Blood trickled down my wrist, pooling on the floorboard below. I gasped, feeling Victoria pull me backward. She ran her nails down my face, below my jaw line. I yelped, tears stinging my eyes.

"Please!" I cried. She smirked, the sick smile I hated covered her features, as her eyes zeroed in on the line of blood on my face. I watched in horror as she swiped the pad of her fingertip against my neck, catching a drop of the dark blood. She touched her lips, her tongue darting out to capture it. Her face twisted into the sick smile again.

"Not yet," she muttered to herself.

I glanced down at my body as she flung me off her. My wrist was still bleeding, blood matted in my hair and on my chin. I still felt the sensation of having been winded, and as I sat up I fought against the urge to vomit. Victoria watched me for a moment, her eyes piercing into me. It took me a minute to realize that she was feeling very thirsty, craving my blood. She was going to wait…

"_Not yet."_

I felt the urge to vomit again as I realised that she was putting it off. She wanted to have a little more _fun_ first. I felt faint, the blood loss combined with the sick realization that she wasn't finished with me yet, led me to sway a little as I tried to sit up straight. I couldn't fight it off anymore, the sensation of exhaustion and dizziness. I glanced once more at Victoria before my body swayed and fell limp.

* * *

I woke to find myself in a different room. Victoria had dragged my body, instead of carrying me, which had subsequently led to her having left smeared lines of my blood on the floorboards. I tried to fool myself into thinking it was paint: I never had liked blood.

"Victoria?" I whispered weakly, my voice struggling to find volume. I managed to pull myself up, using the wall to help. There was no sign of Victoria, the front door was shut. I peered outside the one small exposed window to see her car was gone.

Now would be the perfect time to escape - if I wasn't dying. Thin bandages covered my arm, one across head. I hadn't eaten for at least two days now, my stomach protested, my throat felt dry, parched. I moaned, propping one arm against the wall as I swayed. My head pounded, making it difficult to focus on anything for long. I realized that I must have had a bad concussion. My arm still burned from the first real injury I had received from her. I stumbled my way toward the front door, tucking my injured arm against my chest. I managed to pull the door open, and stumble my way out onto the dry grass before I vomited up blood. My chest injury was worse than I had first anticipated. As I moved to try and sit up I yelled in pain. Tentatively, I poked my ribs, crying out when I felt the tender one. I mentally listed my injuries: _Concussion, broken arm, cuts and bruises to my face, neck and wrist, most likely a broken rib or two - perhaps a pierced lung as a result._

That would explain the blood I had just coughed up, and the sudden intense difficulty breathing. I fell forward, my palms and knees digging into the dry earth below. I looked around, surveying where I was for the first time. I had been here for at least three days - probably four by now. And there was nothing else here; nothing but dry drooping trees, brown unwatered lawn, a dirt driveway and an old run-down house.

The site of my death.

I lowered myself onto my back, choking out air as I felt the similar winded sensation. I squinted against the sun, watching the clouds slowly drift across the sky. I wondered if I would die then, right there on my back on the lawn in the middle of nowhere. Alone, abandoned.

Perhaps that was why Victoria wasn't around. Perhaps she'd left me to die, perhaps she knew it was very soon; that even if I ran away I wouldn't get far before I collapsed and my body let go. A part of me hoped that was the case, that soon the pain would be gone, that I wouldn't have to die with her around.

I lay there, the sun kissing my face, as I dragged up the only memories I wanted to think of in that moment. Edward's face. His perfect face would be alive with diamonds if he were laying with me now. I imagined his hands in my hair, his lips against my forehead. I closed my eyes, smiling and ignoring the pain in my face as I stretched the sore skin. Perhaps he would stay with me, perhaps he would travel with me to heaven and I could really be with him forever; well, not with _him_, but with my hallucination, my version of him.

Not really _him_, but how I remembered him. Happy, smiling, laughing. Holding me in his meadow, kissing my lips at night. Humming my lullaby in my ear, coercing me to sleep. I would never have him again physically, he would never be laying here with me in the flesh. He would exist only in my mind.

And that would be enough.

* * *

I whispered out a soft inaudible 'no', as Victoria's car pulled up, the tires screeching, causing a volley of dust to float in the air. I coughed, squeezing my eyes shut. She stood in front of me, blocking the sun from my face.

"What are you doing?" She asked, amused. I avoided her face, knowing that I wouldn't be able to handle the sick smile plastered there.

"I'm giving you what you wanted. I'm dying."

"You're not getting away that easily," she muttered, yanking me up, holding my arms in the air to steady me. When she let me go I fell back, past the point of exhaustion. My body was beginning to cave in now, my legs unstable to the point where I couldn't even stand. Victoria shook her head, sad.

"I was hoping that I could drag this out for at least two more days, but I suppose I over-estimated the strength of your human body. I'll guess we'll have to end this now."

She flung me over her shoulder, and I moaned tiredly in protest as she held my broken arm to hard. I hung limply over her shoulder and closed my eyes, praying that it wouldn't be too painful.

I couldn't handle much more pain at this point.

She laid me back down on the hospital-like bed and strapped my arms in, before moving onto my legs.

"Do you want to know where I went?" She asked, before continuing without waiting for an answer. Perhaps she knew that I could no longer speak.

"I went to go and get my last supplies." She headed out of the room and returned before the door could swing shut. She had a similar petrol canister in one hand - the one she'd used to destroy my truck - and some rope and matches in the other.

"Bella, I've decided that this was such a fun little trip we've spent together, so much so that it needs to have a great send off, something to do it justice." She paused, placing the canister on the floor before she looked back at me, winking.

"I've decided to end this with a bang."

* * *

_EPOV_

I sighed loudly as I let my head loll back, resting against the wooden panel in the wall. The Denali house was just as extravagant as our house back in Forks…

_Forks_.

I moaned, pulling my legs up against my chest again. Any reminder of the lovely perfect human girl I'd left behind made me feel almost sick with pain. If I were a human I would've been hospitalized by now.

Alice shoved the door open, not bothering to knock anymore. I groaned at her, giving no inviting greeting, as she headed over to the windows and opened the drawn curtains.

_Edward, get up. _

"No," I muttered in annoyance. "Get out."

She shook her tiny head furiously, her spiky hair flailing around her cheeks. I rolled my eyes, before leaning my head back and breathing deeply in and out.

_I'll look at her future, Edward._

I sprung to my feet, moving to stand in front of my sister. I towered above her miniscule frame, glaring into her pixie's eyes. She flinched and I felt a pang of guilt, not even to stop me from threatening her.

"Don't you _dare_."

Alice's expression changed. She poked her tongue out at me and shoved against my shoulders, of course unsuccessfully moving me. She tapped a finger to her chin, rapidly counting to one hundred in French in her mind. I raised an eyebrow, annoyed and curious at the same time.

"Edward, just one look!" She pleaded, clasping her hands together. I shook my head violently. "Just for a second! I'll leave now - I'll go into the woods. I'll only tell you what I see if it's _really_ bad, if she needs us!"

"She does not need us. Alice, can't you see that? That is why I left: we cause her nothing but danger, nothing but _pain_."

"I need to, Edward. You don't understand!"

"_I _don't understand?"

Alice sighed loudly, dropping her hands to her sides.

_I won't tell you what I see. I won't tell anyone. You can't tell me that you don't want to know, Edward. This is just one final check up. I just need to know that she's alright - at least not in danger - and then we can all just drop it. Alright?_

Feeling weaker than I had ever felt before I dropped my head. I gave one quick pathetic nod, and watched Alice disappear before taking back the same spot I'd been sitting in for the past three days.

* * *

Alice's frantic thoughts grabbed my attention.

_No. No. No. No._

She thought hurriedly, as she sprinted into the house and up the stairs to find me. Horror washed through me at the possibilities of what she'd seen.

"She needs us!" Alice choked out, propping the door open as she gestured for me to move. "Edward Victoria has her! _Victoria_! She's _hurting _her! She's hurting Bella!"

I flinched on both names.

_Bella. My Bella._

My Bella in the hands of Victoria. Victoria. Vampire. Bella…Human.

Alice's mind flooded with images, sick, horrific images. Bella's blood spilt, broken bones. The worst was not an image, but instead a sound. The sound that would haunt me forever, the sound that would ring in my ears long after I finished hearing it. Bella's blood-curdling scream, such a violent sound ripping from her throat, choking her. I felt my eyes burn, the non-existent tears bubbled up. I felt my hand dig indentations into the wall as the anger burned my eyes, my vision disappeared - all I could see was Bella. Her face contorted in pain, Victoria's sick smile.

And then it would end. The world would end.

"No!"

* * *

Thoughts?

P.S. There will be at least two more chapters. (:


End file.
